By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Palau will take up to 75 migrants from the U.S. as the Pacific Island nation signed a memorandum of understanding with Washington on transfer of third-country nationals in return for additional U.S. aid.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau spoke to Palau President Surangel Whipps in a call on Tuesday about transferring third-country nationals to Palau, the two sides said in separate statements, even as Palau's lawmakers had rejected a previous request from Washington on the matter.
President Donald Trump's immigration policies, including his administration's deportation drive, have been broadly condemned by human rights advocates on concerns about due process. The Trump administration has also sent hundreds of people to third countries to which they have no ties, a tactic that was rarely used in the past.
Trump has said the measures are aimed at improving domestic security.
Palau and the U.S. signed an MOU "allowing up to 75 third country nationals, who have never been charged with a crime, to live and work in Palau, helping address local labor shortages in needed occupations," the office of Palau's president said.
"In this regard, the United States granted $7.5 million to address the needs of relevant Palau public services," the U.S. statement said.
The U.S. State Department and Palau also said Washington will give assistance of $2 million to provide advisors to Palau who will help in security issues and an assistance of $6 million for reforms related to Palau's civil service pension plan.
In late July, Palau's Congress said it "cannot accept" a U.S. proposal for it to accept asylum seekers from other countries.
Palau, with a population of 17,000, has a compact of free association with the U.S., which provides economic assistance in return for allowing American military access to its territory.
Palau is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention.
U.S. Catholic bishops have condemned Washington's immigration enforcement activities and in October, Pope Leo XIV lamented the mistreatment of immigrants.
Last week, a federal judge signaled a willingness to again rule that the Trump administration cannot swiftly deport migrants to countries other than their own without providing meaningful notice and an opportunity for them to raise fears of persecution or torture if they are sent there.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)
